10 REASONS TO RAVE IN ICELAND

Iceland is famous for many things, not the least of which are its breathtaking, otherworldly landscapes and steady stream of musical exports. Dance music aficionados know it for Secret Solstice festival, as well — 96 hours of raving in a magical setting from June 16th-19th — during a week of the year when the sun never sets. We decided to round up the top 10 reasons to snag a ticket... as if you needed more than one excuse to drop in on a lineup that includes the likes of Radiohead, Jamie Jones, Apollonia, Of Monsters And Men, Goldie, Visionquest and Skream. Thank us later.

 

1. Iceland is one of the youngest landmasses on the planet, so its grounds are always shifting. You don't even need to shuffle; the earth does it for you!  

 

2. Secret Solstice is the only place you can experience live music inside the magma chamber of a dormant volcano and party inside a glacier. It's a music-loving-adventure-seeker's dream.

3. Game of Throne fans can venture “North of the Wall” and see sites from the TV series. They even have tours! No guarantees that Lord Snow will be waiting for you, though.

 

4. Iceland is the only place you can rave for 96 hours of straight sunlight. That’s right, the sun doesn’t set in the middle of summer in Iceland because it’s so close to the Arctic Circle (but don’t worry – you won’t freeze!). Keep those sunglasses handy.

5. Two words: Midnight sun. The clip below gives you an idea of the darkest it gets around midnight, as the sun touches the horizon before rising higher again. To heighten your experience with this astronomical phenomenon, Secret Solstice is hosting a midnight sun boat party in the Arctic Sea. Yep.

 

 

6. Iceland has become a hotbed for musical talent and Secret Solstice features some of the best this year, including: Of Monsters & Men, Bang Gang, Gísli Pálmi, Mammút, Fufanu, Rix, Faces Of Walls, Agent Fresco, Alvia Islandia, Amabadama, Axel Flóvent, Captain Syrup, Emmsjé Gauti, GKR, Glowie, Herra Hnetusmjör, Högni Egilsson, Kúra, Lily Of The Valley, Lily The Kid, Shades Of Reykjavík, Soffía Björg, Úlfur Úlfur, Vaginaboys, Ylja, Þriðja Hæðin and more!

7. The Blue Lagoon: Hello, where else can you rejuvenate your body after a music festival in mineral-rich, warm waters... other than Reykjavik’s world-famous Blue Lagoon?

 

8. Test your tastebuds: Iceland is home to some of the most deliciously unconventional food on the planet, from puffin, to its special black licorice, to its popular hot spring rye bread or hverabrauð — which is cooked by placing the dough inside a special wooden casket buried in the ground near a hot spring. It’s then ready to eat the next day. Amazing.

 

 

9. Dazzling sights: While most music festivals take place in the middle of a field or a parking lot, at Secret Solstice you have the entire country of Iceland to explore with an endless list of natural wonders like Strokkur (the boiling water geyser), the iconic Gullfoss waterfall, or the impressive black sand beach in Vik.

 

 

10. Million dollar listing: Iceland — and Secret Solstice, specifically — is the only place on earth where you can grab a flight in a private business jet from anywhere on the planet for you and five other guests, with 24/7 access to two private luxury cars (including drivers and security) for a week in Iceland that includes two private concerts by prominent Icelandic musicians, helicopter transfers, complete access to Secret Solstice, a private aerial tour of Iceland, access to the world’s first party in a volcano, access to the world’s only party inside a glacier, private access to the Blue Lagoon reserved for only your travel party and more. All for a cool price of $1 million bucks.

 

Tickets and info for Secret Solstice festival can be found here.